This Device Can Tell You What's In Your Food

A little device in your pocket can tell you way more than the nutrition label on the foods you're eating. The SCiO by a company called Consumer Physics is a small, handheld molecular food scanner that can detail the chemical breakdown with a scan. It works on any material, not just food. The device flashes a beam of infrared light on the material, then uses a built-in spectrometer to analyze the light that gets reflected back. It determines the absorption rate, which is difference in every material, and cross references that with a database of materials. It will then send this information to your smartphone. Beyond food, SCiO can work on plants and medications as well.